1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connecting means for providing a positive and/or a non-positive connection between at least two connecting partners, wherein the connecting means has at least one first region which engages with the first connecting partner by way of a positive and/or a non-positive engagement, and at least one second region is provided which engages with the at least second connecting partner by way of a positive and/or a non-positive engagement.
2. Description of Related Art
To connect two connecting partners, connecting means are used which provide a permanent connection between the connecting partners commonly by way of positive and/or non-positive connections. Examples of these are screw connections, plugs etc. Connecting means may however also be used for connecting two components for example in the construction sector in order to fasten tunnel linings to the ground or to rock or to connect different layers thereof. Such connecting means are then referred to as rock anchors or rock bolts. Corresponding connections are often exposed to environmental influences, for example temperature fluctuations, load peaks, vibrations etc., which the connections must withstand without damage being caused to the connection or to the component. It is often also necessary for the connecting means to be exchanged after several years of use. The installation and dismounting of corresponding connecting means has hitherto been very difficult, in particular if the connecting means have to accommodate high loads, such as for example rock anchors in a tunnel lining. For example, the U.S. Pat. No. 4,195,952 has disclosed rock anchors which are inserted into a bore in the rock and which have a conically narrowing internal thread. A non-positive connection of the rock anchor in the rock is provided by means of a screw which, during the counterboring process, spreads the conical internal thread outward. A disadvantage of this solution is that, firstly, a cumbersome screwing process has to be performed, which furthermore harbors the risk that the screw in the threaded shank itself fractures owing to the forces acting. A rock layer bolt which utilizes shape memory characteristics of a material is known for example from the Russian patent application SU 1332029 A. The shape of the rock layer bolt is however highly complex and requires very high production costs. The safety strut known from the Russian patent application SU 1454976 A has securing means which likewise utilize a material with shape memory characteristics. For the provision of connecting means which provide a highly loadable positive and/or non-positive connection between two connecting partners, the known safety strut however has a non-positive or frictional engagement region which is too small. The provision of a large non-positive or frictional engagement region does not appear to be possible with the known safety strut.